This mask gives you superhuman abilities

By Stan Schroeder

Updated 10:45 AM ET, Wed May 8, 2013

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Extending human capabilities – It may bear an ominous similarity to the head-gear worn by Iron Man, but this cool piece of 3D-printed equipment is one half of a hi-tech vision and audio system that aims to sharpen how we see and hear the world around us.

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Delving into detail – The Eidos Vision device enhances the way users see motion, achieving a similar effect to long exposure photography. By detecting and overlaying movement it showcases a flow of patterns hidden to the naked eye (as displayed in the image).

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Hearing one voice among many – The Eidos Audio Mask, meanwhile, is shaped to target bone structures in the inner-ear, amplifying specific sounds while blocking out background noise. This enables users to hone in on the voices and conversations they want to hear in a crowded or loud environment.

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On the spot sports analysis – Some of the most obvious practical uses for the vision product can be found in the arts where there is the potential to add spectacular visual effects to live performances such as ballet or fashion shows.

Sportspeople using the technology will be able to analyze their performance and movements in real time, quickly making adjustments to correct their technique (for example, tennis players can see and follow the trajectory of a ball that they just served).

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Helping focus – The audio mask could have major practical implications for those with hearing problems or ADHD sufferers who find it difficult to concentrate in a loud environment by neutralizing distracting background noise.

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Creating superhumans – The stated aim of the project was to add value to the human body by using technology. This photo shows the early stages of experimental brainstorming in the group, who are based at London's Royal College of Art.

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Mixing digital technology with the human body – The Eidos team went through rounds of intense analysis and modeling, settling on a mixture of wearable materials and 3D printed parts that house functional electronic components such as transducers, speakers, cameras and displays.

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Early stage development – As part of the prototyping phase the crew constructed this elaborate, if clunky, sensory deprivation experiment using noise isolation rigs.

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Hearing a voice inside the head – Testing the effects of bone conduction technology, where the user can hear via the inner, rather than the outer, ear. These rigs use motors and small transducers pressed against the teeth to achieve the effect.

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Wearable tech – Exploring audio swapping technology. This head-mounted rig changes what listeners hear from their left to right ear, and vice-versa.

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Creating visual effects in real time – A human guinea-pig tests out a "strobe vision" prototype device, which gives the appearance of slow or arrested motion by using alternating light.

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Illusion of depth – This complex looking head piece was used to modify active 3D shuttering technology.

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Eidos superhuman mask – The first working prototype of Eidos Vision. It contains a head mounted display and camera, although it's a far cry from the cool looking final product.

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Story highlights

Students at the Royal College of Art have created masks that can give enhanced sight and hearing

First mask uses a microphone to isolate a specific sound in a noisy environment

The other, worn over the eyes, can apply visual effects seen by the wearer in real time

Fans of "Iron Man," take notice: A group of students at the Royal College of Art in London have created two masks that can give you superhuman sight and hearing.

The first prototype covers the wearer's ears, mouth and nose and uses a directional microphone to give him the ability to hear an isolated sound in a noisy environment. For example, you could target a person in a crowd and clearly hear his words without the surrounding noise.

The other prototype is worn over one's eyes. A camera captures video and sends it to a computer, which can apply a set of effects to it in real-time and send it back to the wearer. One can, for example, use it to see movement patterns, similar to the effects of long-exposure photography.

The team behind project Eidos — Tim Bouckley, Millie Clive-Smith, Mi Eun Kim and Yuta Sugawara — see many possible applications of this technology. For example, one could use the visual mask it to analyze movement and technique in sports. In another example, concert-goers could use the hearing mask to focus on a certain performer at a concert.

"We are used to controlling the world around us to find the settings that suit us best. But while technology advances to aid this, our physical bodies remain the same. What if we had the same control over our senses? If we could adjust them in real time, what experiences would this make possible,' they ask.

Though the Eidos prototypes are relatively simple, the ideas behind the project are interesting. With wearable tech being the talk of the town as of late, one has to wonder if Google Glass, for example, could be paired with visual or auditory augmentation technology to "improve" your senses.

What superhuman abilities would you like to gain from wearable tech? Share your ideas in the comments.